Family Relocating to Scottsdale Area from Mississippi

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by cacto

If you have the money, go to Arcadia, all these brand new suburbs with McMansions trying to seem posh and/or outdoorsy-golf centered are isolated and boring. Arcadia/east Phoenix is great fine dining, established green neighborhoods with history, in the city without being in a trashy area (though AZ crime is a joke compared to back east). All these pricey housing developments on the outskirts of town are nice but they're brand new, cookie cutter, suburbia where everything is beige, no one walks anywhere meaning you have to walk miles to the nearest store (car culture). If you guys are going spend 8 or 9 hundred thousand go where it's really nice in the city, by Camelback, with grassy tree filled neighborhoods, full of families and close to all that's going on in PHX. Why move out to a nice house in North Scottsdale where you have to drive 45 minutes to an hour for all cultural, sporting, concert events, and return to your verge of the desert place where the only thing going on late at night is coyote howls?

You are partially right. The homes on the outskirts are not cookie cutter. Quite the contrary actually, the nicest homes are over there. They are not cookie cutter. In fact, the non-desert/Arizona/adobe looking homes are in North Scottsdale, South Chandler, East Gilbert etc. The lots are larger. There are neighborhoods where the homes actually have character and feel like neighborhoods. Some of them have lakes.

BUT

I agree that their location is a problem. That's been my issue with those homes. I don't want to drive 30 minutes just to get a Target. Most of the families that live in those areas don't leave their immediate area because theyre too far from everything else.

[libbyjo]

I live in South Chandler, and I have to say that I leave all the time. It is so easy to hop on the freeways from there and get to most anywhere in the valley. It's only 20 minutes to the airport unless you are in rush hour traffic. No, the houses aren't the same as Arcadia, but there are some really friendly neighborhoods. A lot of people like the Ocotillo area near the lakes. Some beautiful waterfront properties there.

One of my favorite areas is Fountain Hills. Beautiful properties, not cookie cutter, lots of custom homes, mountain views. But...if you want to be in the city, it is not the place for you. It is like a small town outside of the city, friendly, but close enough to Scottsdale that you can easily drive in for dinner or a movie. However, it's a fair drive to the airport.

There are trade-offs no matter where you go in Phoenix, as it's so spread out.

Good Luck!

[autism360]

Originally Posted by beemw

Hello!!

My husband will be accepting a job in the next year in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, and I was hoping to get some insight on a few different areas to look for homes. We were there visiting this past week to check out different areas to live, and we absolutely fell in love with the Arcadia area. We love that it is in the middle of everything with all the restaurants, near Old Town, and the shopping of fashion square. I also loved that as we drove through the streets of Arcadia, there were families out and about in their yards and walking the streets.

While Arcadia is our favorite, I'm not convinced on the pricing of the houses. We have a budget capping at 800-900,000, but for me, I'd like to spend a little less and use more of the budget on furniture or even putting money into the house to make it how we would like. It's discouraging that a house in Arcadia that is at 600-700,000 price point is a "fixer upper" for the most part. Is Arcadia THE place to be?

So my question for you is, what are some other areas, either in Arcadia, near Arcadia, or somewhere else that would satisfy these things:

-family friendly in the sense of outgoing, nice neighbors with kids that you will see out and will become friends with
-sense of community
-safe since I have a young daughter and my husband will be traveling a lot during the week
-not huge but considerable backyard because we have two larger dogs
-proximity to the airport or ease to get to the airport due to husband traveling regularly

Thank you for ANY input you can give me!

I would have a look at Awatukee, Tempe and Chandler.

[Maggie144]

Did you travel through the McCormick Ranch area of North Scottsdale? We lived there for 3 years. Beautiful area convenient to activities such as hiking and the Indian Bend Wash is about 10 miles of great walking/biking paths with great scenery, airport, great restaurants. Moved back east because of family. Sorry we did. I miss it very much. I will take hot weather over lack of sunshine and SNOW. We had one of the worst winters this past season. We would love to move back but, our children are settled in PA, NJ areas and I don't think we want to be that far away from them. I have some great friends that I'm still in contact with in AZ. People are more friendly. I hope you enjoy out there. Good luck!

[Iowastater]

Originally Posted by beemw

Iowastater, have you had any luck? It's fun looking at houses right now on the internet, since we are further out from our move, but very discouraging still to see the prices and quality. I couldn't agree more about the poor finishings of the remodeled ones.

No luck, still looking hard but nothing new or decent coming on the market under 1.5